NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Quantum quasiparticle could make future quantum computers more reliable

    Source: US Government research organizations

    Newly found subatomic phenomenon known as fractional excitons have unique properties predicted by earlier theoretical work

    Supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, physicists have revealed the presence of a previously unobserved type of subatomic phenomenon called a fractional exciton. Their findings confirm theoretical predictions of a quasiparticle with unique quantum properties that behaves as though it is made of equal fractions of opposite electric charges bound together by mutual attraction.

    The discovery was supported by NSF through multiple grants and laboratory work performed at the NSF National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida. The results are published in Nature and show potential for developing new ways to improve how information is stored and manipulated at the quantum level, which could lead to faster and more reliable quantum computers.

    “Our findings point toward an entirely new class of quantum particles that carry no overall charge but follow unique quantum statistics,” says Jia Li, leader of the research team and associate professor of physics at Brown University. “The most exciting part is that this discovery unlocks a range of novel quantum phases of matter, presenting a new frontier for future research, deepening our understanding of fundamental physics and even opening up new possibilities in quantum computation.”

    Li and his team were able to observe fractional excitons by using a phenomenon known as the fractional quantum Hall effect, which occurs when a strong magnetic field is applied to layers of atomically thin materials at very low temperatures. Under these conditions, the electrons flowing through the layers behave as though they have broken up into fractions of a single electron, containing only a portion of a single electron’s negative charge. Identical but opposite fractional amounts of positive charge, called “holes,” were also observed in adjacent layers within the material. 

    The researchers found that the attraction between the two oppositely charged fractional particles creates the predicted fractional exciton.

    “We’ve essentially unlocked a new dimension for exploring and manipulating this phenomenon, and we’re only beginning to scratch the surface,” says Li. “This is the first time we’ve shown that these types of particles exist experimentally, and now we are delving deeper into what might come from them.”

    The team’s next steps will involve studying how fractional excitons interact and whether their behavior can be controlled.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Washington Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Murder on the Colville Reservation

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Steven Joseph Zacherle, age 38, to 204 months in prison for Second Degree Murder in Indian Country and Threats in Interstate Commerce. Judge Rice also imposed 5 years of supervised release and restitution payable to the Colville Confederated Tribes for the murder victim’s funeral expenses.

    According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing, on the evening of October 18, 2022, Zacherle was in a domestic dispute with his intimate partner (Victim 1) near a gas station on the Colville Indian Reservation. During the dispute, Victim 1 drove away from the area without Zacherle, who had gone inside a nearby store.

    When Zacherle realized Victim 1 had left him, he began calling and texting her, demanding she return, or he was going to “kill” and “hurt people.” About the same time as Zacherle was making these threats to Victim 1, Dion Boyd, an elder within the Colville Tribe, exited the nearby gas station. Zacherle and Mr. Boyd walked the same direction for a short distance. Zacherle then attacked Mr. Boyd, striking him in the head.

    Within minutes of that attack, Zacherle called Victim 1 and referenced the assault, bragging that he had knocked someone out.  He then asked Victim 1 whether she wanted to see what Zacherle had done.  Victim 1 reported that she could hear garbled breathing and snorting on the phone line.

    Shortly after the assault, Omak Police and first responders located Mr. Boyd, who was unresponsive and face down, bleeding from his head. Medical providers later determined Mr. Boyd was braindead and that Mr. Boyd would never recover from the injuries Zacherle inflicted. Mr. Boyd’s family spent the next twenty days at Mr. Boyd’s bedside in the hospital hoping for a miracle, but Mr. Boyd ultimately died as a result of the injuries sustained in the assault.  The Medical Examiner determined Mr. Boyd suffered a severe brain hematoma and cracked skull because of the unprovoked attack.

    “My heart goes out to the Boyd family, who have suffered so much pain as a result of Mr. Zacherle’s unprovoked attack,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Barker. “My office is fully committed to working federal, state, local, and Tribal leaders to fully prosecuting violent crimes on Tribal land. The victims and survivors of these terrible crimes deserve nothing less.”

    At sentencing, MMIP AUSA Bree Black Horse explained “Mr. Boyd’s family and friends have uniformly described Mr. Boyd as a kind, generous person who helped raise his younger siblings and later his own children. Mr. Boyd also served his Tribe as an IT technician, ensuring Colville Tribal members living in rural areas could have cell service.”

    In recommending the Court impose a 17-year sentence, MMIP AUSA Black Horse explained “Mr. Boyd’s violent and senseless death at the hands of Zacherle has severely impacted the large family Mr. Boyd has left behind. And, Mr. Boyd is now among the disproportionate number of murdered Indigenous people and Mr. Boyd’s family has joined the ranks of too many other MMIP families throughout Eastern Washington and elsewhere.”

    “This appalling attack was truly senseless.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Mr. Zacherle displayed a shocking disregard for the value of human life when he took his frustrations out on an innocent bystander, recklessly costing that person his life.  The Colville Indian Reservation is a safer place with him off the streets.”

    This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners.  The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components.  Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the Colville Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker and Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Assistant United States Attorney Bree R. Black Horse.

    2:23-cr-00007-TOR

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Flywire Deepens Collaboration with Ellucian to Deploy Software and Payment Solutions to Banner through Integrations via Ellucian Ethos

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON and ORLANDO, Fla., April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, at the Ellucian Live conference, Flywire Corporation (Nasdaq: FLYW) (Flywire), a global payments enablement and software company, announced newly deployed integrations with Ellucian, a leading provider of software and services built to power higher education. Flywire’s new integration pathway with Ellucian Ethos, Ellucian’s API layer, enables institutions to accelerate their implementations of Flywire’s solutions, and ensures Flywire can be implemented on any Ellucian instance, including Banner and Colleague SaaS. These new achievements build off of Flywire and Ellucian’s award-winning integrations that enhance the student experience, while reducing complexity for institutions.

    George Mason University in the United States leveraged Flywire’s Ellucian Ethos integration to successfully deploy Flywire Collection Management software, allowing, among other things, single sign-on access for students directly from their familiar Banner interface. Additionally, Oxford Brookes University will be the first institution to go live with Flywire’s Ellucian Ethos integration for international payments, making Flywire the first Ethos integration in the United Kingdom.

    Flywire successfully deploys Banner integration via Ellucian Ethos at George Mason University

    George Mason University, a longtime client using Flywire for cross-border tuition payments, leveraged Flywire’s Student Financial Software (SFS) integration via Ellucian Ethos to implement Flywire’s Collection Management solution. This automates the past-due collection process, providing proactive visibility and alerts to prompt student engagement, offering flexible payment plans, and accelerating collection timelines and cash flow. With the Flywire SFS/Ellucian integration, past-due accounts are loaded seamlessly, communications are automated, and students are always able to see their accurate balance, saving significant time and resources for administrative staff. Additionally, for staff, they can manage all workflows related to the student financial journey from their familiar Banner or Colleague platform.

    “As a result of the Flywire SFS integration with Ellucian Banner, our students have secure, single sign-on access to our collection management application,” said Bill Cunningham, Director of Student Accounts at George Mason University. “This makes it easier for them to view their past-due balance and take action before it becomes a collection issue. This also reduces the workload for our internal collections team. The project was also one of the smoothest we’ve seen.”

    Oxford Brookes University in the U.K. leverages Flywire’s payments integration with Ellucian Ethos & EPS

    One of Ellucian’s earliest adopters to integrate a payment solution via Ellucian Ethos & EPS, Oxford Brookes University in the U.K., is leveraging the integration between Flywire and Ellucian Banner to offer a streamlined payment experience with hundreds of payment choices to their students and families directly within their Banner instance, without significant IT investment. Additionally, Flywire helps their students and families easily make and track payments in native currencies, and they get the benefit of seeing and accessing all payment information within their familiar Banner workflow.

    “Embedding Flywire’s payment solution into our student information system makes it a natural part of the workflow – for both students and our finance team,” said a representative from Oxford Brookes. “Regardless of where they are in the world, students can easily and securely view charges and make payments. At the same time, reconciliation is fully automated and our systems are updated in real time. That kind of tight integration will drive huge efficiencies for our finance team.”

    Building on a longstanding partnership between Flywire and Ellucian

    With a singular focus on higher education, Ellucian has been empowering colleges and universities with powerful, enterprise solutions for over 50 years. Now, more than 2,900 higher education institutions across the globe rely on Ellucian for everything from managing business workflows to improving the student experience. This has been the driving force behind the long-standing partnership between Ellucian and Flywire. Thanks to ongoing innovation and collaboration, Flywire has previously been named an Ellucian Partner of the Year for Integration Excellence, recognition that highlights how Flywire’s integrations reduce complexity for institution administrators wanting to offer a streamlined experience with more flexible payment options to students and their families.

    Additional benefits of Ellucian/Flywire integrations include:

    • Convenient and secure digital payment experience – Flywire’s powerful Global Payment Network allows students to securely pay in 140+ currencies across 240+ countries and territories with hundreds of payment options
    • Real-time payment and payment plan updates and automated reconciliation – via seamless data flow between Flywire and Ellucian Banner and Ellucian Colleague systems
    • Consolidated payment options – ability to offer a variety of payment options in one place accelerates funds flow, eases reconciliation, and streamlines financial operations

    “Our ability to embed intuitive payment capabilities directly into Ellucian’s existing workflows enables schools to optimize the student financial experience, expand payment options, and streamline their backend financial processes,” said David King, Chief Technology Officer at Flywire. “And as one of the first partners to integrate a payment solution via Ellucian Ethos and EPS, Flywire is committed to building off a longstanding relationship to continue to drive technical innovation for global institutions.”

    Zach Tussing, Director of Partnerships, Ellucian, added: “The Flywire and Ellucian teams have been working closely together to deliver an improved integration and an innovative customer experience. Flywire’s powerful global payments network and payments software, integrated with Ellucian’s suite of products, will deliver significant improvements for institutions around the world.”

    Resources

    • To meet with the Flywire team at Ellucian Live:
      • Visit Flywire booth #234
      • Attend Flywire’s “Rethink Payments & Collections with University of South Florida & Texas A&M for Student Success” and “Texas A&M Automates Sponsor Invoicing to Drive Efficiency” sessions
      • See SFS in action during our solution showcase Tuesday, April 8th at 2:55pm ET
    • To learn more about Flywire’s partnership with Ellucian: Unifying the student experience with Ellucian and Flywire
    • To learn more about Flywire’s Ellucian product integrations: Better Together: Flywire and Ellucian
    • To learn more about Flywire’s capabilities for higher ed: Flywire’s education solutions

    About Flywire

    Flywire is a global payments enablement and software company. We combine our proprietary global payments network, next-gen payments platform and vertical-specific software to deliver the most important and complex payments for our clients and their customers.

    Flywire leverages its vertical-specific software and payments technology to deeply embed within the existing A/R workflows for its clients across the education, healthcare and travel vertical markets, as well as in key B2B industries. Flywire also integrates with leading ERP systems, such as NetSuite, so organizations can optimize the payment experience for their customers while eliminating operational challenges.

    Flywire supports more than 4,500 clients with diverse payment methods in more than 140 currencies across 240 countries and territories around the world. Flywire is headquartered in Boston, MA, USA with global offices. For more information, visit www.flywire.com. Follow Flywire on X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn and Facebook.

    About Ellucian

    With more than 2,900 customers in over 50 countries, Ellucian delivers technology solutions that drive student success and institutional excellence. For more information visit www.ellucian.com.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding Flywire’s expectations regarding the benefits of its education clients and business, Flywire’s business strategy and plans, market growth and trends. Flywire intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as, but not limited to, “believe,” “may,” “will,” “potentially,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “target,” “plan,” “expect,” or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations that involve risks, changes in circumstances, assumptions, and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in Flywire’s forward-looking statements include, among others, the factors that are described in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of Flywire’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and available on the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov/. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and Flywire undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Media Contacts:

    Sarah King
    Media@Flywire.com

    Investor Relations Contact
    Masha Kahn
    ir@flywire.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: HUMBL, Inc. Announces Name Change Application and Ticker Symbol Updates

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    San Diego, CA, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HUMBL, Inc. (OTC: HMBL) announced today that it will be submitting an application to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to change its corporate name to HUMBL Ventures, Inc. The company has a deadline of June 30, 2025 to apply to change the legal name from HUMBL, Inc. to HUMBL Ventures, Inc. The completion of the name change is subject to final approval by FINRA. HUMBL, Inc. has also received permission from WSCG, Inc. to continue to utilize the HUMBL brand logo and trademark as a component part of its use of the name HUMBL Ventures.

    As an additional part of this transition, HUMBL, Inc. has received formal permission from WSCG (WSCG)—the entity that owns the HUMBL brand and ticker symbol (OTC: HMBL), to continue to use the ticker symbol (OTC: HMBL) following the name change. This approval ensures continuity for shareholders and market participants throughout the corporate evolution.

    “We believe the name HUMBL Ventures best reflects the company’s business model and strategic roadmap in technology joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions within the holding company, while recognizing the brand DNA of HUMBL and its powerful shareholder base,” said HUMBL, Inc. CEO, Thiago Moura.

    The company also announced today a joint venture with MultiCortex AI, a U.S. and Brazilian-based artificial intelligence company as the newest addition to its holding company portfolio.

    About HUMBL, Inc.

    HUMBL, Inc. is shifting toward a shareholder value-centric model under the leadership of CEO Thiago Moura, Principal of Ybyra Capital — a Brazilian holding company with diversified investments, such as commodities and mining.

    The company’s unique structure enables it to create two-way distribution pipelines throughout the United States and Latin America, leveraging Ybyra Capital’s established regional presence to offer strategic partners immediate access to high-growth markets.

    The company most recently announced a joint venture with a U.S. and Brazilian-based, Artificial Intelligence (AI) company – MultiCortex AI. MULTICORTEX | HPC FOR AI

    HUMBL, Inc. (OTC: HMBL)
    Investor Relations: IR@humbl.com
    Media Contact: Media@humbl.com

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact included herein are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “may,” “will,” “could,” and similar expressions. All forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with the ability to achieve the anticipated benefits of the joint venture, competitive conditions, and general market dynamics. HUMBL, Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: HUMBL, Inc. Announces Joint Venture Agreement with MultiCortex to Expand its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Distribution

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    San Diego, CA, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HUMBL, Inc. (OTC: HMBL) is pleased to announce a joint venture agreement with MultiCortex, LLC, a U.S. and Brazilian-based company specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing.

    Under the terms of the agreement, HUMBL, Inc. will hold a 51% equity stake in the joint venture, while MultiCortex co-founders Bruno Ghizoni and Alessandro Faria will retain 49% and lead daily operations. HUMBL, Inc. will invest up to $3 million USD from its upcoming Regulation A+ public offering to support go-to-market initiatives and expansion.

    The partnership will enable MultiCortex to further complete and commercialize its proprietary “Forest of Algorithms” — a federated large language model (LLM) platform designed to integrate multiple AI systems into a unified, intelligent framework.

    Developed by MultiCortex CTO Alessandro Faria, the “Forest of Algorithms” enables seamless orchestration of diverse LLMs and has been recognized by NVIDIA for its innovation. The federated AI system will be distributed globally through major cloud marketplaces, including AWS, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.

    Mr. Faria, a globally recognized leader in biometric AI and a member of the Intel International Council, has led the development of technologies that have processed over 100 million biometric identities. MultiCortex is a recognized partner of AWS and Intel, and is committed to delivering advanced AI solutions through global cloud ecosystems and enterprise channels.

    “This venture allows us to take cutting-edge AI and deliver it globally through our commercial reach in the United States and Latin America,” said Thiago Moura, CEO of HUMBL, Inc. “Together, the companies aim to shape the future of AI through an integrated, collaborative model that prioritizes interoperability over competition.”

    Looking ahead, the joint venture will support MultiCortex in expanding its sales, strategic partnerships, and financing capabilities within the U.S. market. It will also drive the development of tailored AI integrations for enterprise clients across specific use cases and industry verticals.

    About HUMBL, Inc.

    HUMBL, Inc. is shifting toward a shareholder value-centric model under the leadership of CEO Thiago Moura, Principal of Ybyra Capital — a Brazilian holding company with diversified investments, such as commodities and mining.

    The company’s unique structure enables it to create two-way distribution pipelines throughout the United States and Latin America, leveraging Ybyra Capital’s established regional presence to offer strategic partners immediate access to high-growth markets.

    About MultiCortex, LLC

    MultiCortex, LLC is a U.S. and Brazilian-based artificial intelligence and high-performance computing company focused on developing advanced federated AI platforms. Co-founded by Bruno Ghizoni and Alessandro Faria, the company is the creator of the Forest of Algorithms — a proprietary system designed to integrate multiple large language models (LLMs) into a unified AI environment. Mr. Faria is a globally respected innovator in biometric AI and has served on the Intel International Council. Mr. Faria has developed Forest of Algorithms for the biometric sector, processing over 100 million individuals, and the company is a trusted partner of AWS and Intel.

    MULTICORTEX | HPC FOR AI

    HUMBL, Inc. (OTC: HMBL)
    Investor Relations: IR@humbl.com
    Media Contact: Media@humbl.com

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact included herein are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “may,” “will,” “could,” and similar expressions. All forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with the ability to achieve the anticipated benefits of the joint venture, competitive conditions, and general market dynamics. HUMBL, Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Department of State Press Briefing – April 8, 2025 – 2:00 PM

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Spokesperson Tammy Bruce leads the Department Press Briefing, at the Department of State, on April 8, 2025.
    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
    X: https://x.com/StateDept
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statedept
    Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/statephotos/

    Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
    Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
    Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: http://ow.ly/diiN30ro7Cw

    State Department website: https://www.state.gov/
    Careers website: https://careers.state.gov/
    White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
    Terms of Use: https://state.gov/tou

    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ2qQhP5o3E

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: TN Member Op-Ed: Trump Chose the Right Man to Help Make American Agriculture Great Again

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative David Kustoff (TN-08)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tennessee members of the House of Representatives published an op-ed in Agri-Pulse titled, “Trump Chose the Right Man to Help Make American Agriculture Great Again”. In the op-ed the members argue that Judge Stephen Vaden, a West Tennessee native, is the right choice to be Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

    Trump Chose the Right Man to Help Make American Agriculture Great Again
    By: Reps. David Kustoff (TN-08), Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Tim Burchett (TN-02), Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03), Scott DesJarlais (TN-04), Andy Ogles (TN-05), John Rose (TN-06), and Mark Green (TN-07)

    As Tennessee members of the House of Representatives, we are honored to support the nomination of Stephen Alexander Vaden as deputy secretary of the Department of Agriculture. 

    A native of west Tennessee, Vaden is currently serving a lifetime appointment as a judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade. Vaden combines a wealth of legal expertise, extensive agricultural experience, and a nuanced understanding of global trade. These qualities make him exceptionally suited to help lead the USDA in advancing policies that serve American farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.

    President Donald Trump has always been a champion for rural America. His nomination of Vaden reinforces that commitment. By selecting a farmer from rural west Tennessee, Trump is placing a leader in his administration who deeply understands the realities of rural life and the agricultural industry.

    Vaden grew up on his family farm in Union City, Tennessee. It was there that he developed a deep appreciation for the hard work, dedication, and challenges that American farmers face every day. Today, he continues to manage operations there, carrying forward his family’s agricultural legacy. Vaden understands firsthand the hardships of fluctuating commodity prices, rising input prices, and an increasingly complex regulatory environment. These experiences have fueled his passion for ensuring that agriculture remains a viable and thriving industry.

    Throughout his career, Vaden has consistently demonstrated unwavering support for America’s producers. As general counsel at USDA during Trump’s first term, he led efforts to streamline regulatory processes to better serve rural communities and implemented the 2018 farm bill. His focus on expanding international markets and advocating for free trade will be crucial for the future of agriculture. With the U.S. set to hit a record agricultural trade deficit, Vaden’s leadership will be essential in addressing this imbalance and leveling the playing field for American farmers.

    What further distinguishes Vaden is his service as a federal judge. Vaden was nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate to serve on the U.S. Court of International Trade. His legal skill and in-depth knowledge of trade law enable him to offer sound guidance to the USDA as it develops effective policies and regulations. In this day and age, international market forces are rapidly shifting, and the agricultural sector is facing increased volatility. Vaden’s ability to ensure both efficient and fair executive practices will prove vital for domestic producers. As a judge, he has presided over key trade cases, including rulings on unfair trade practices and import restrictions that posed a threat to domestic producers. These decisions have directly strengthened the stability of U.S. agriculture in an increasingly competitive global market.

    In Tennessee, agriculture is not just an industry but a way of life. We look forward to having a deputy secretary who understands the unique challenges facing our rural communities. With his roots in Union City, Vaden is uniquely qualified to advocate for policies that will keep our farms competitive on the global stage. In the coming years, Vaden’s leadership will be crucial as Congress negotiates a new farm bill that addresses labor issues, improves market access, and strengthens the resilience of our supply chains.

    We are confident that Vaden’s confirmation will be a crucial step in securing a prosperous future for the Americans who feed, clothe, and fuel the world. Trump has chosen the right man to help make American agriculture great again.

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Unlocking Second Chances

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04)

    The American Dream has lived in the hearts and minds of Americans for countless generations – the idea that your class or your past does not define you or determine your value and that your success can be achieved through hard work and dedication – not the family you were born into or even your past. 

    In 1931, American writer and historian, James Truslow Adams, popularized the concept of the American Dream in his book, “The Epic of America” as, “not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.”

    This week, I was pleased to introduce a bipartisan, bicameral resolution to recognize April as Second Chance Month. For millions of Americans who have served time behind bars for the crimes they have committed, there is an exceptional challenge they face when reentering society. 

    Looking for well-paying jobs to support a family is already difficult for most, but under the current circumstances and stigmas placed on formerly incarcerated individuals, this becomes a nearly impossible task. The unfortunate reality of this situation is that the likelihood for these individuals to return to prison is high – because of the discouraging lack of resources and community support that is so desperately needed. 

    In his State of the Union Address in 2004, President George W. Bush stated, “We know from long experience that if [incarcerated individuals] can’t find work, or a home, or help, they are much more likely to commit more crimes and return to prison…. America is the land of the second chance, and when the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life.” Even twenty years later, this remains a fact — as it has for the decades before the former president’s speech. 

    Rising crime rates are a constant concern for communities across our nation. While it’s certainly most ideal that no one commits a crime that would send them behind bars, it is an unfortunate reality. However, if we can provide better reentry programs and community support that will supply these individuals with the tools they need to succeed, we may see crime rates drop, along with recidivism rates, as we restore confidence back into these individuals.

    Recognizing April as Second Chance Month is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness on the importance of creating pathways for the millions of Americans previously and currently incarcerated, who have paid their debt to society, and experience the innumerable barriers to successfully re-entering their communities. Each of these Americans has an intrinsic value and is worthy of the dignity that comes with establishing hard-earned jobs and gaining sought-after respect. Everyone deserves a second chance. Let’s build upon the American Dream together, by breaking down the stigmas attached to incarceration and working toward reducing recidivism rates.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Republican Governors Thank President Trump for Supporting Senate Amendment to House Budget

    Source: US Republican Governors Association

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Republican governors sent a joint letter to President Trump thanking him for his support of the Senate’s amendment to the House Budget Resolution.

    The governors wrote in part: 

    “On behalf of the citizens of our states, we also thank you for the immense amount of work you and your administration have undertaken to reverse the tremendous hardship endured by our citizens due to President Biden’s failed policies. Your promises to reinstitute fiscal sanity, fight against the weaponization of the justice system, secure our borders, and achieve energy dominance are unmatched. As we have all seen, promises made, promises kept. 

    …

    “We are on your side in supporting the Senate amendment to the House budget resolution because we know that failure cannot be an option. The Democrats’ open border policies created a deadly flood of illegal immigrants in all our states. Inflation and punishing energy regulations have siphoned money from the pocketbooks of families. Without an extension of your Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, taxpayers will suffer a multi-trillion-dollar tax hike. 

    “We believe this budget resolution sets a strong foundation on which to build. It provides congressional Republicans with the tools they need to enact the entire Trump agenda. Again, we thank you for supporting this budget so Congress can start putting pen to paper on the one, big, beautiful bill that will Make America Great Again.”

    You can view the full letter here.

    Signatories include: Governor Kay Ivey (AL), Governor Mike Dunleavy (AK), Governor Sarah Sanders (AR), Governor Brian Kemp (GA), Governor Brad Little (ID), Governor Mike Braun (IN), Governor Kim Reynolds (IA), Governor Jeff Landry (LA), Governor Tate Reeves (MS), Governor Mike Kehoe (MO), Governor Greg Gianforte (MT), Governor Jim Pillen (NE), Governor Kelly Armstrong (ND), Governor Kevin Stitt (OK), Governor Henry Dargan McMaster (SC), Governor Larry Rhoden (SD), Governor Bill Lee (TN), Governor Greg Abbott (TX), Governor Spencer Cox (UT), Governor Glenn Youngkin (VA), Governor Patrick Morrisey (WV), Governor Mark Gordon (WY). 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Adams Introduces HBCU Arts Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Alma Adams (12th District of North Carolina)

    WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12), founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Caucus and an HBCU art professor of 40 years, introduced the HBCU Arts Act, investing in arts education and conservation at HBCUs.

    “Art is a universal language that allows people everywhere to experience and celebrate unique cultures and communities. It expands our worldview,” said Congresswoman Alma Adams. “Unfortunately, art programs and departments are often among the first ones cut when schools face financial hardship. Through the HBCU Arts Act, we can provide a historic investment to our HBCUs and ensure these programs remain accessible to our students of color for generations to come.”

    The HBCU Arts Act aims to remove financial and other barriers to arts education and conservation for HBCUs, making these programs more accessible to their students. This bill recognizes the importance of fostering a diverse generation of artists and art professionals who are essential for creating, conserving, educating, and supporting African American art.

    Specifically, the HBCU Arts Act:

    • Provides financial and other assistance to students in arts, arts education, and cultural programs.
    • Establishes outreach programs and development offices for arts, arts education, and cultural arts departments.
    • Provides comprehensive wraparound services for arts, arts education, and cultural students, including faculty and peer mentorship, work-based learning opportunities, guidance counseling, and career advising.
    • Exhibits, maintains, monitors, and protects African American art collections in exhibition and in storage.
    • Provides well-paid apprenticeship, internship, and fellowship opportunities to students in arts, arts education, and cultural programs through partnerships with nonprofit arts, arts education, and cultural institutes. 

    The HBCU Arts Act has a number of prominent organizations endorsing the bill, including Americans for the Arts, and the National Association for Music Education.

    “As a Howard University graduate with a background in business and art history, I witnessed how HBCUs foster artistic excellence and creative leadership,” said Americans for the Arts CEO Erin Harkey. “The HBCU Arts Act is a smart, crucial investment that addresses historical funding inequities and establishes the support systems our students deserve. This legislation aligns with Americans for the Arts’ mission to ensure that arts and culture enrich every community. We fully endorse this bill and are prepared to mobilize our national network of arts leaders to amplify its impact. We commend Representative Adams for her vision in creating sustainable pathways that will strengthen HBCU arts programs and the future of American culture.”

    “The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) is proud to once again endorse the HBCU Arts Act, reintroduced by Congresswoman Alma Adams,” said Dr. Deborah Confredo, President of the National Association for Music Education. “This important legislation addresses longstanding inequities in funding for arts programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. These institutions have historically nurtured extraordinary artistic talent, often in the face of systemic barriers. By providing targeted support to strengthen music and arts programs at HBCUs, this bill takes a meaningful step toward diversifying the pipeline of professional artists and educators. Artistic expression is both a reflection of and a pathway to understanding the complexity of human experience. Ensuring that creators from a broad spectrum of cultural and historical backgrounds are supported in their development is essential to the health and vitality of our field. NAfME remains steadfast in its commitment to equitable access to high-quality music and arts education, and we strongly urge the 119th Congress to advance this legislation.”

    “HBCU Art Programs and the National Alliance of Artists from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (NAAHBCU) promotes art and art education with HBCUs, fostering artistic and life skills for students, and providing opportunities for artists and art professionals,” said Dr. Willie Hooker, Professor of Art at North Carolina A&T University.

    HBCUs have an outsized impact on art:

    • HBCUs have a long-standing legacy of producing African American artists, fostering the careers of artists from Augusta Savage to Megan thee Stallion and everyone in between.
    • HBCUs are some of the most comprehensive collectors of art produced by artists of color. The Hampton University Museum remains the country’s oldest African American museum and houses one of the largest collections of African, African American, and Indigenous arts in the United States.
    • Arts and cultural production is a quickly growing economic center. In 2022, arts and cultural economic activity accounted for 4.3% of the GDP, or $1.1 trillion.

    The bill is cosponsored by (12): Reps. Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At-Large), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Frederica Wilson  (FL-24), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Valerie Foushee (NC-4), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Andre Carson (IN-7).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boyle, Norcross Introduce Bills to Give Tax Breaks to Workers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brendan Boyle (13th District of Pennsylvania)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Representatives Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA-02) and Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01) announced the introduction of their bills, the Tax Fairness for Workers Act and No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act. Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) joined the members in leading the introduction of the No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act.

    The Tax Fairness for Workers Act will allow workers to deduct employment expenses such as union dues, travel, and uniform costs, restoring a deduction that was stripped by the 2017 Trump tax law. The No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act will end the ability for corporations to deduct union busting expenses from their taxes.

    “While Republicans continue to push tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations, we are focused on easing the burden on hardworking people and strengthening unions. It’s time for a tax system that works for teachers buying school supplies, workers paying for uniforms, and union members fighting for fair wages,” said Congressman Boyle. “The Tax Fairness for Workers Act and the No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act are both key steps in restoring fairness and supporting those who build our economy.”

    “The No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act and Tax Fairness for Workers Act both focus on protecting America’s workers,” said Rep. Norcross. “Every worker deserves a free and fair choice to join or form a union, and it’s time that our tax code reflects that. The No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act will end corporate handouts for union-busting campaigns, make our tax code fairer, and level the playing field for workers. The Tax Fairness for Workers Act will restore fairness and put money back into the pockets of workers who bet on themselves. During a time when the Trump Administration is attacking workers’ rights, I’m honored to have Representatives Brendan Boyle and Judy Chu partner with me in the fight to put more money into the pockets of hardworking Americans.”    

    “We need policies and a tax code that support American workers and ensure wealthy corporations pay their fair share,” said Rep. Chu. “But in the last few months, this Trump-Musk administration and its corporate allies have waged an all-out assault on worker rights: paralyzing the agencies responsible for enforcing fair labor laws, revoking collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees, and advancing trillions in tax cuts for corporations – the same ones that spend heavily on anti-union campaigns against their own workers, and then write that off as a business expense. We need to pass our No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act to finally end the government subsidies for illegal union-busting, as well as the Tax Fairness for Workers Act to once again allow union employees to deduct their dues from their taxes.”

    “There’s nothing fair about a tax code that’s loaded with deductions and giveaways for corporate union busters and the super-wealthy while penalizing workers for exercising their right to have a seat at the table,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “At a time when high costs are squeezing working families and the freedom to form a union is under attack, AFSCME thanks Reps. Boyle and Norcross for spearheading commonsense legislation like the Tax Fairness for Workers Act and the No Tax Breaks for Union Busters Act to level the playing field for workers.”

    “It is unacceptable for Congress to support anti-worker tax provisions, especially when they’re considering more tax cuts for the wealthy while ignoring the urgent needs of working families. It’s time to give workers their fair share,” said Dan Mauer, Communications Workers of America’s Government Affairs Director. “Our tax code should prioritize workers organizing to have a voice on the job. That is why we wholeheartedly support the No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act and the Tax Fairness for Workers Act. We commend Representatives Norcross, Boyle, Chu and all those championing a fairer tax system for working families.”

    “The Tax Fairness for Workers Act will restore basic fairness to the tax code by allowing hard-working middle-class families to, once again, deduct common employment expenses like safety equipment, tools or the classroom supplies teachers use every day from their federal taxes—just as they could before Trump’s 2017 tax law, and just like the wealthy do now,”said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “It’s a simple, necessary step to right a wrong. This bill would make a noticeable difference to the monthly budget of millions. If a CEO can write off business expenses, workers should be able to do the same.”

    “The IAM Union applauds Senator Tina Smith and Representatives Donald Norcross and Brendan Boyle for introducing the Tax Fairness for Workers Act,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “The GOP’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act wrongly eliminated workers’ ability to deduct many employment related expenses, such as the cost of union dues, uniforms and tools. The IAM strongly supports the Tax Fairness for Workers Act, which rightly restores these tax deductions for working families.” 

    “The IAM Union applauds Senator Ben Ray Lujan and Representatives Donald Norcross, Brendan Boyle, and Judy Chu for introducing the No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “Union busting, or union avoidance campaigns, have a chilling impact on workers’ ability to exercise their right to freely form and join unions.  This legislation would end the taxpayer subsidization of these anti-union, anti-American campaigns.” 

    The Tax Fairness for Workers Act will allow workers to deduct common employment expenses such as travel, union dues, and uniform costs, restoring a deduction stripped by the 2017 Trump tax law. Workers will be able to deduct business expenses, just as employers can.

    Read the full text here.

    The No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act would end taxpayer subsidies for corporations’ anti-union behavior by classifying corporate interference in worker organization campaigns like political speech rather than an “ordinary and necessary” business expense. Additionally, this bill would require corporations to report anti-worker interventions to the IRS and grant the Department of Treasury greater enforcement authority to hold them accountable for using company money to interfere in protected worker activities.

    Read the full text here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pappas Highlights Devastating Impact of Republican Budget on Medicaid, NH Medicaid Expansion

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

    Approximately 180,000 Granite Staters, including 60,000 enrolled in Medicaid Expansion, would see their access to health care put at risk.

    In response to news that House Republicans will soon bring up the Senate’s amended version of their budget, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) held a roundtable with Erica Ungarelli, Granite Pathways Executive Director, Jake Berry, Vice President of Policy at New Futures, Jay Couture, President and CEO at the Seacoast Mental Health Center, Jon Stimmell, Interim Acting Executive Director and Program Director at Great Bay Services, Lisa Beaudion, Disability Policy expert, Melissa Hugener, Waypoint Family Resource Center, David Lombardi, CFO at Greater Seacoast Community Health, and a family from Dover who relies on Medicaid for health care access. 

    “Despite the overwhelming outcry from our communities, Republicans continue to push forward with a partisan budget that will slash Medicaid funding and put families at risk by cutting off their access to life-saving preventative care, long-term care, mental health, and addiction treatment,” said Congressman Pappas. “These severe cuts would hurt families in need of health care and services, and they would be devastating to our fight against the addiction and mental health crisis that we continue to face as a state. I will continue to fight back against these cuts and the tax breaks for billionaires like Elon Musk that are the centerpiece of Republicans’ bill. I’ll work to ensure that families across New Hampshire can access the care and services that benefit them as well as our overall health care system and economy.”

    Background: 

    In February, Pappas held a roundtable with New Hampshire health care advocates and community leaders to highlight the devastating impact the Republican budget would have on New Hampshire residents’ access to health care and local community health centers’ ability to serve their patients. Pappas voted against the resolution when it came to the floor. 

    The proposed Republican budget threatens Medicaid coverage, jeopardizing health care coverage for 68,008 Granite Staters living in New Hampshire’s First District, including 32,000 children and 4,463 seniors. Across the state, Medicaid provides health coverage to more than 182,000 total New Hampshire residents – 13.4% of all Granite Staters, 30.1% of all New Hampshire children, and 64% of residents living in nursing homes. 

    The proposed Republican budget also threatens coverage for approximately 60,000 people in New Hampshire who receive coverage through New Hampshire’s Medicaid Expansion, a program set up with bipartisan support. Since its enactment in 2014, more than 250,000 Granite State residents have accessed health care through the program at least once.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NH Delegation Slams Trump Administration Funding Freeze on Life-Saving Reproductive Health Care Services

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

    The New Hampshire Congressional delegation released the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s freeze on federal funding for life-saving reproductive health care services provided by Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE):

    “The Trump administration’s move to freeze federal funding that helps Planned Parenthood of Northern New England deliver basic and often life-saving reproductive health care will be nothing short of disastrous for the communities we represent. Every day, PPNNE provides thousands of Granite Staters with affordable preventative reproductive health care services. By targeting essential care like cancer screenings and family planning services, the administration is sending a clear message: women’s health doesn’t matter to them.”

    The New Hampshire delegation have been unrelenting advocates for women’s reproductive rights. Just last year, the delegation joined PPNNE in Concord to highlight the impact abortion bans and efforts to limit access to medication abortion have had in New Hampshire since Roe v. Wade was overturned. The delegation has pushed for Title X funding, and following obstruction from Republicans on New Hampshire’s Executive Council, the delegation helped secure critical Title X funding for PPNNE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NH Delegation Calls on Secretary Kennedy to Restore $80 Million in Federal Funding to Address Substance Use and Mental Health Crises

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

    The New Hampshire delegation is calling on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to immediately restore $80 million in federal funding that New Hampshire relies on to address public health crises, including the substance use and mental health epidemics. 

    The delegation wrote, in part: “During his first term, President Trump declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency, stating, ‘We can be the generation that ends the opioid epidemic.’ It seems that is no longer a goal of the current administration. Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) terminated approximately $80 million in public health funding for New Hampshire, including programs administered by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).” 

    They continued: “For New Hampshire, this harmful decision to eliminate funding weakens our state’s ability to respond to infectious disease outbreaks, cuts support services for individuals suffering from mental health crises and substance use disorders and undermines efforts to adequately care for rural and underserved populations […] Staff across the state have already been terminated, and these terminations include our vital community health workers serving our most at-risk populations. Communities and organizations across New Hampshire, including community health centers, hospitals, mental health providers, schools and small businesses, are currently left without resources and holding the bag on already promised funding.” 

    They concluded: “Clawing back these funds does nothing to improve our state’s public health system. Instead, you are needlessly putting our communities’ health at risk and jeopardizing our constituents’ livelihoods and their organizations. We urge you to reinstate this vital funding immediately.” 

    The full text of the letter can be found here.

    The New Hampshire delegation has led efforts to address the substance use and mental health crises. Just last year, the delegation celebrated $29,890,890 in State Opioid Response (SOR) grants heading to New Hampshire to help address the substance use disorder epidemic. 

    Congressman Pappas led 50 of his House colleagues in urging HHS Secretary Kennedy to reverse the cancellation of over $12 billion in federal grants for state health services from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Steil Introduces Bill to Maintain Sanctions on Terrorists in Iran

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Bryan Steil (Wisconsin-1)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Contact: Michael Donatello

    Steil Introduces Bill to Maintain Sanctions on Terrorists in Iran

    Washington, DC – This week, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) introduced the No Sanctions Relief for Terrorists Act, part of the Republican Study Committee’s Enforcing Maximum Pressure Initiative. Steil’s bill ensures that sanctions on Iran cannot be lifted unless the country stops funding terrorist activity.

     

    “The Iranian regime is the largest State Sponsor of Terrorism in the world and has continued to finance terrorist proxies for more than four decades. Iran’s actions have endangered U.S. citizens, companies, and allies around the world,” said Steil. “No administration should repeat the errors of the Biden Administration.  We must ban sanctions waivers that can enable the Iranian regime to finance attacks on America and our allies.”

    Background:

    • In 2023, the Biden Administration allowed the Islamic Republic of Iran to access up to $10 billion in previously restricted funds using a sanctions waiver.
    • This action occurred despite increasing terrorist activities and Iran’s role in funding and arming Hamas, including providing weapons used in the October 7th terrorist attack against Israel.
    • Congressman Steil previously called on the Biden Administration to cease the use of this workaround and address why the administration saw fit to provide relief to the world’s largest State Sponsor of Terrorism.
    • Congressman Steil joined his colleagues with the Republican Study Committee at a press conference Wednesday to introduce a package of bills that would restore maximum pressure on the Iranian Regime and protect the American people from terrorism.
    • The No Sanctions Relief for Terrorists Act prevents any presidential administration from providing sanctions relief to individuals and entities in Iran sanctioned for terrorism unless the President could certify to Congress that Iran was no longer sponsoring terrorism.
    • Specifically, the legislation would prevent the abuse of humanitarian waivers and licenses, as used under the Biden Administration, which allowed the administration to circumvent terrorism-related sanctions.
    • This bill follows the restoration of significant sanctions on Iran by the Trump Administration.
    • Video of the press conference can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Foster Leads Bipartisan Effort to Keep STEM Graduates in America

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Foster (11th District of Illinois)

    Washington, DC – Today, Reps. Bill Foster (D-IL) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) announced the reintroduction of the bipartisan Keep STEM Talent Act to make certain advanced Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degree holders eligible for permanent resident status. This would allow these graduates to remain in the United States following their graduation and would remove barriers for them to work in the United States.

    The Senate companion bill is led by Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD). 

    “We must expand America’s STEM workforce to compete in the global economy,” said Congressman Bill Foster. “Our country gives international STEM students a world-class education, only to turn them away when they want to stay in the United States after graduation and contribute their skills to our economy. Allowing these graduates to stay would help put our country on the cutting edge of scientific research and technological development and create good-paying American jobs along the way. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan effort to build up our STEM workforce.”

    “I’m proud to reintroduce the bipartisan Keep STEM Talent Act of 2025. Our universities attract some of the brightest minds from around the world, yet too often, these students leave the United States after graduation. This bill will incentivize international STEM graduates to stay and contribute to our economy, ensuring America continues to lead the world in science and technological innovation,” said Congressman Mike Lawler.

    “Maintaining a strong STEM workforce strengthens our economy, creates jobs, and enhances our ability to compete on the world stage,” Senator Dick Durbin said. “By denying international students with advanced STEM degrees the opportunity to continue their work in America, we are losing their talents to countries overseas and won’t see the positive impacts of their American education. I thank Senator Rounds for joining me in this commonsense and bipartisan effort.”

    “Legal, highly skilled STEM immigration is crucial for our nation and has opened doors for talented immigrants like Albert Einstein to come to America,” said Senator Mike Rounds. “Particularly with the advancements of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, we must keep talent in the United States and stay ahead of our near peer competitors such as China and Russia. This bill enhances national security by imposing new, stringent vetting requirements, while also making certain talent stays serving the United States, not our adversaries.”

    The Keep STEM Talent Act is endorsed by the American Mathematical Society, the American Physical Society, the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, MIT Graduate Student Council, MIT Science Policy Initiative, and the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students.

    A copy of the bill is available here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: REP. RO KHANNA RECEIVES PUBLIUS AWARD FROM THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE PRESIDENCY AND CONGRESS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Rep Ro Khanna (CA-17)

    On March 25th, Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17), alongside Senator Todd Young, received the Publius Award from the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress –– a non-partisan, non-profit dedicated to promoting bipartisan leadership. The award honors political leaders who put the public good and pragmatism over partisanship and special interests. Past recipients include Secretary Ash Carter, Senator Tim Kaine, Congressman Mike Gallagher, and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. 

    “I was honored to receive the Publius Award alongside Senator Young, with whom I co-authored the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to invest in innovation, good-paying jobs, and the revitalization of communities left behind by the offshoring of manufacturing. At a moment of deep division in Washington, we can’t lose sight of delivering for working-class people and strengthening our economy. Thank you to President Glenn Nye and the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress for this honor and for your work to promote cooperation and innovative problem solving,” said Rep. Ro Khanna. 

    “CSPC is proud to honor Rep. Ro Khanna, together with Senator Todd Young, with our Publius Award, recognizing their bipartisan leadership on American competitiveness and innovation. This kind of cooperation doesn’t usually make headlines, but it is vital for our country to honor such statesmanship,” said CSPC President and CEO Glenn Nye. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Maine Delegation Announces Maine Veterans Home Receives Reimbursement for Domiciliary Care

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden today announced that Maine Veterans’ Homes (MVH) has received full reimbursement due to them from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for domiciliary care provided to veterans since 2021. In 2020, Congress passed legislation authorizing the VA to cover the costs of nursing home care provided by state veterans’ homes for veterans with early-stage dementia after it abruptly stopped covering these payments in 2019. Unfortunately, the VA delayed the required rulemaking by more than two years. This lag forced MVH to pay out-of-pocket for the care costing approximately $130,000 per month and over $3 million since 2019.

    “For decades, Maine Veterans’ Homes (MVH) has provided quality care to Maine veterans; working hard to make good on our nation’s promise to give back to those who served,” said Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Golden. “However, for years, MVH has faced financial strain due to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) delay in reimbursing it for nursing home care for veterans battling dementia, putting additional burdens on Maine veterans and their families. We are excited to share that MVH has finally received full reimbursement from the VA for this care — an important step that will ensure its doors can stay open, and our veterans can continue to access important care and support.”

    Domiciliary care was established by the VA after the Civil War as a type of assisted living that is provided to older veterans who are independently mobile, or semi-mobile and incapable of living alone. Over 115 MVH residents receive domiciliary care, 80 percent of whom are on Medicaid.

    The Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act, signed into law on January 5, 2021, authorized the VA to resume reimbursements for domiciliary care at state homes like MVH. Since then, the Maine Congressional delegation has continuously pushed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reimburse Maine Veterans’ Homes. In spring of 2023, the delegation introduced the Reimburse Veterans for Domiciliary Care Act, which would require the VA to restart payments for current care as mandated by law and retroactively provide MVH with the reimbursements for past care. Months later, the delegation received news the VA had agreed to resume reimbursing Maine Veterans’ Homes (MVH) for domiciliary care, but did not follow through on delivering the funds. After pressure from the Maine delegation, in September 2023 the VA announced a proposed rule that would retroactively reimburse MVH for the care they’ve provided back to January 2020. Last spring, the delegation wrote a letter to the former Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough requested an update on the rule and in October 2024, the VA announced the finalized rule that would provide retroactive reimbursement for MVH.

     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Davids Pushes Back on Proposed Shipping Fees That Would Hurt Kansas Businesses, Farmers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

    Recently, Representative Sharice Davids urged U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer to amend a new shipping policy that would hurt Kansas businesses, farmers, and U.S. national security. The plan would impose massive fees on American shipping companies that rely on foreign-built ships — costs so high that Merriam-based Seaboard Corporation warns that its Marine Division could be forced out of business.

    “While I support strengthening America’s shipbuilding industry and the American workers employed by the sector, I am concerned that the Proposed Action, as currently written, will have unintended consequences that would be devastating for United States-owned international ocean carriers and employment at dozens of ports around the country,” wrote Davids. “I urge you to consider the broader impacts on the U.S. shipping and agriculture industries as USTR moves ahead with the Section 301 process.”

    The initial policy — outlined in Section 301 Investigation of China’s Targeting of the Maritime, Logistics, and Shipbuilding Sectors for Dominance — is meant to boost American shipbuilding, but Davids and industry experts warn it could backfire, leaving fewer shipping options for U.S. exporters, driving up costs, disrupting supply chains, and giving Chinese companies an advantage. Davids is urging the USTR to amend the policy to protect U.S.-owned shipping companies while also encouraging the long-term growth of American shipbuilding. 

    “Kansas Farm Bureau fully supports Rep. Sharice Davids’ efforts to ensure U.S.-owned shipping companies and their customers, which include farmers and ranchers, aren’t caught in the crosshairs of misguided policy,” said Joe Newland, President, Kansas Farm Bureau. “We support efforts to increase America’s competitiveness in shipbuilding, but the USTR’s existing plan would raise shipping costs, destroy jobs and make Kansas agricultural products less competitive in global markets.”

    Seaboard Corporation, a Fortune 500 company based in Merriam, Kansas, owns Seaboard Marine, the largest U.S.-owned international shipping carrier. The company says that under the proposed policy, they and other U.S.-owned shipping companies would be forced to pay enormous fees — up to $1.5 million every time a foreign-built ship docks at a U.S. port, even if the ship was bought when no such rule existed. Additional penalties would apply to companies that have already ordered new ships from foreign shipyards, further squeezing U.S. businesses.

    The impact wouldn’t just be felt in the shipping industry. Kansas farmers rely on global shipping to export crops and import necessary supplies like fertilizer and seed. In 2022, Kansas exported $7.2 billion in agricultural products. If shipping options shrink or costs rise, farmers could be left paying more or struggling to sell their goods abroad.

    Right now, the U.S. does not have enough shipbuilding capacity to meet the demand for new commercial vessels. Only ten container ships were built in the U.S. between 2010 and 2023. Davids argues that without a reasonable transition period, U.S. shipping companies will be forced out of business while foreign competitors gain even more market control. She continues to advocate for policies that protect Kansas businesses, create good jobs, and strengthen America’s position in global trade.

    Read a full copy of Davids’ letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Rep. Omar Speaks at Hands Off! People’s Veto Rally in Washington D.C.

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ilhan Omar (DFL-MN)

    WASHINGTON– On Saturday, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) spoke at the Hands Off! People’s Veto Rally at the National Mall in Washington D.C.

    Rep. Ilhan Omar called out the chaos, corruption, and callousness of the Trump Administration. She emphasized the importance of fighting and defending our democracy and upholding our Constitution.

    The full video can be found here.

    Full transcript below:

    “Hello everyone! 

    It is so good to be here with over 100,000 American patriots. 

    It is a reminder that the American fighting spirit is alive, because folks we are in a fight! 

    We are in a fight for our democracy.

    We are in a fight for our constitution.

    We are in a fight for our families.

    We are in a fight for the kind of future we want for this country.

    We are currently living through a president who wants to be a dictator.

    In America, we do not accept dictators and we do not accept kings.

    We have a billionaire who has bought a seat next to the President, using him as a puppet.

    American democracy has never been for sale and it won’t be today.

    We are seeing a cowardice — congressional Republicans that are utilizing the chaos our fascist president is creating to cut Medicaid, Social Security and take away our rights, while they give $4.5 trillion in tac cuts to their billionaire puppeteers.

    None of this is normal!

    This is why we have to fight for our constitution. Because here is the thing, no matter who you are, Elon Musk and Donald Trump and corrupt congressional Republicans are coming for you.

    If you are a mother struggling to put food on the table, they are coming for you.

    If you have elderly parents that you are trying to put in a nursing home, they are coming for you.

    If you are a senior relying on Social Security, they are coming for you.

    If you have disabled children and you’re trying to make sure they have access to education, by cutting the Education Department, they are coming for you.

    So they want you to believe— they want you to believe to look at your neighbor as your enemy.

    They want you to believe that it is because of trans kids that you can’t have the necessary access to the programs we already paid for.

    They want you to think it is okay to snatch people in the middle of the night and disappear them.

    They want to take away our pride, as Americans, in the constitution and due process by putting people in foreign prisons in a dark hole.

    They want to crash the economy so that they can set up a process of punishment and reward.

    So they can grab more power for who will bend the knee and give them access.

    None of this is normal!

    So if you want a country that has the marvelous constitution we have, we have to fight for it!

    If you want a country that still believes in due process, we have to fight for it!

    If you believe in a country where we take care of our neighbors, look after the poor and make sure our children have a future they can believe in, we have to fight for it!

    So are you ready to fight?

    Are you ready to fight?

    Let’s go fight and win!

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. production of all types of coal has declined over the past two decades

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    In-brief analysis

    April 8, 2025

    In 2023, the United States produced 578 million short tons (MMst) of coal, or less than half of the amount produced in 2008 when U.S. coal production peaked, according to our most recent Annual Coal Report. The production decline is spread almost evenly across each type of coal and continued in 2024. Rising mining costs, increasingly stringent environmental regulations, and competition from other sources of electric power generation have contributed to domestic coal production declines.

    The rank of coal depends on the depth at which coal deposits are buried. Deeper coal deposits have experienced more heat and pressure over time, providing those coals with higher heat capacity, higher carbon content, lower moisture, and fewer impurities. When ranked by their carbon content, the highest-ranking coal is anthracite, followed by bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite coal.

    Coal mining companies produce bituminous coal primarily from the Appalachian and Illinois Basins, both of which cover large areas in the eastern United States. Subbituminous coal is found in various parts of the western United States, especially in the Powder River Basin in northeastern Wyoming and southeastern Montana. Mining companies produce lignite coal across several parts of the Midwest, mostly in North Dakota and Texas.

    Coal producers mine and sell the four ranks of coal mined in the United States primarily as thermal coal, which operators at power plants burn to produce steam for electricity generation. Bituminous coal, particularly from the Appalachia region, also has metallurgical characteristics, making it a critical raw material used in blast furnace steelmaking. In 2023, the United States exported 51 MMst of bituminous coal as metallurgical coal.

    Coal producers tend to sell subbituminous coal to coal-fired power plants across the United States, or, less often, export the coal to countries in Asia. Subbituminous coal’s low mining costs and relatively low heating value are partially offset by the high cost of transporting coal long distances, usually by rail. Coal producers tend to sell lignite almost exclusively to power generating plants located near mines. This proximity is a key economic factor given the low heat content of lignite coal.

    Our Annual Coal Report provides detail on U.S. coal production, mining productivity, reserves, prices, and other series. More recent information on coal production from our Quarterly Coal Reports and Weekly Coal Production Reports shows that U.S. coal production continued to decline in 2024. Our latest Short-Term Energy Outlook forecasts U.S. coal production to decline from an estimated 512 MMst in 2024 to 483 MMst in 2025 and 467 MMst in 2026 because of coal’s continued competition with natural gas and renewables in the electric power sector.

    Principal contributor: Jonathan Church

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Pleads Guilty After Smuggling More Than 60 Pounds of Cocaine into the U.S.

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national pleaded guilty in a federal court in Del Rio to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

    According to court documents, Genaro Ivan Hernandez-Sarabia, was referred to secondary inspection as he attempted to drive into the U.S. from Mexico at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry, Sept. 22, 2024. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and a narcotics detection K-9 located a non-factory compartment inside Hernandez-Sarabia’s vehicle, which contained 32 packages of a white powdery substance which tested positive for 27.66 total kgs of cocaine. Hernandez-Sarabia stated he had been hired for $5,000 to transport the cocaine to Houston.

    Hernandez-Sarabia faces a penalty of 10 years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    Homeland Security Investigations and CBP investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Kass is prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Announces Collaboration with Stanford Medicine to Advance Sleep Apnea Detection and Beyond

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Stanford University today jointly announced a research project with Stanford Medicine to initiate an innovative health solution based on Samsung’s obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) feature1 which has received De Novo — the first of its kind authorization — by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In recognition of World Health Day, this project underscores the importance of sleep in overall health by taking further steps in proactive care, beginning with a pioneering study.
    Led by professor Robson Capasso as principal investigator and professor Clete Kushida as co-principal investigator, the joint study is designed to explore potential ways to further enhance Samsung’s Sleep Apnea feature to better support sleep health through timely interventions. Looking ahead, efforts will focus on going beyond detection by leveraging AI technology for daily monitoring to sleep apnea management, empowering users with the best possible sleep tools to improve their health.

    Samsung’s Sleep Apnea feature on the Galaxy Watch2, which detects signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, previously received authorization by the US FDA following approval by Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). With its latest approval by Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), the feature will become available to users in Brazil in late April, increasing availability to 29 markets globally. The Sleep Apnea feature will continue to be expanded to more countries around the world, allowing more people to proactively spot symptoms earlier, which help prevent further long-term OSA health-related complications.
    “The ethical, equitable and evidence-based use of technology, after its validation through research is crucial in developing new approaches to detection and management of sleep apnea and other serious sleep-related health conditions,” said Robson Capasso, MD, FAASM, Chief of Sleep Surgery, Professor of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, former Associate Dean of Research, Stanford University School of Medicine. “We are excited about this groundbreaking collaboration and proud to be initiating a study utilizing smartwatches, a friendly and commonly accepted wearable”
    “This collaboration with Stanford Medicine will combine our deep technological expertise with Stanford’s leading research capabilities to unlock new innovation in preventive care,” said Dr. Hon Pak, Senior Vice President and Head of the Digital Health Team, Mobile eXperience Business, Samsung Electronics. “Together, we aim to move beyond screening to also provide more meaningful daily support that helps people better understand and manage their sleep health.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Providing farmworkers with health insurance is worth it for their employers − new research

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By John Lowrey, Assistant Professor of Supply Chain and Health Sciences, Northeastern University

    Farmworkers at Del Bosque Farms pick and pack melons on a mobile platform in Firebaugh, Calif., in July 2021. AP Photo/Terry Chea

    Agricultural employers who provide farmworkers with health insurance earn higher profits, even after accounting for the cost of that coverage. In addition, farmworkers who get health insurance through their employers are more productive and earn more money than those who do not.

    These are the key findings from our study published in the March 2025 issue of the American Journal of Agricultural Economics.

    To conduct this research, we crunched over three decades of data from the Labor Department’s National Agricultural Workers Survey. We focused on California, the nation’s largest producer of fruits, nuts and other labor-intensive agricultural products in the U.S., from 1989 to 2022.

    We determined that if 20% more farmworkers got health insurance coverage, they would have earned $23,063 a year in 2022, up from $22,482 if they did not. Their employers, meanwhile, would earn $7,303 in net profits per worker annually in this same scenario, versus $6,598.

    Why it matters

    Roughly half of California’s agricultural employers are facing labor shortages at a time when the average age of U.S. farmworkers is also rising.

    Some of them, including grape producers, are responding by investing more heavily in labor-saving equipment, which helps reduce the need for seasonal manual labor. However, automated harvesting isn’t yet a viable or affordable option for labor-intensive specialty crops such as melons and strawberries.

    Despite labor shortages, agricultural employers may be reluctant to increase total compensation for farmworkers. They may also be wary of providing additional benefits such as health insurance for two main reasons.

    First, seasonal workers are, by definition, transient, meaning that the employer who provides coverage may not necessarily be the same one who benefits from a healthier worker. Second, it costs an employer money but doesn’t necessarily benefit them in the future if the worker moves on.

    Most U.S. farmworkers are immigrants from Mexico or Central America. Roughly 42% are immigrants who are in the U.S. without legal authorization, down from 55% in the early 2000s.

    As the share of farmworkers who are unauthorized immigrants has declined, the share who are U.S. citizens – including those born here – has grown and now stands at about 39%.

    The low wages farmworkers earn offer little incentive for more U.S. citizens and permanent residents to take these jobs. These jobs might become more attractive if employers offered health care coverage to protect the health of the worker and their household.

    Farmworkers who lack legal authorization to be in the U.S. are not eligible for private health insurance policies, and many can’t enroll in Medicaid, a government-run health insurance program that’s primarily for low-income Americans and people with disabilities. Regardless, some employers do take steps to help them gain access to health care services. As of 2025, a large share of farmworkers remain uninsured, including many citizens and immigrants with legal status.

    Limited access to health care is an unfortunate reality for farmworkers, whose jobs are physically demanding and dangerous. In addition, farmworkers are paid at or near the minimum wage and are constantly searching for their next employment opportunity. This uncertainty causes high levels of stress, which can contribute to chronic health issues such as hypertension.

    What still isn’t known

    It is hard to estimate the effect of employer-provided health insurance on workers and employers, since labor market outcomes are a result of highly complex interactions.

    For example, wages, productivity and how long someone keeps their job are highly interdependent variables determined by the interaction between what workers seek and what employers offer. And wages do not always reflect a worker’s skills and abilities, as some people are more willing to accept a job with low pay if their compensation includes good benefits such as health insurance.

    The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Providing farmworkers with health insurance is worth it for their employers − new research – https://theconversation.com/providing-farmworkers-with-health-insurance-is-worth-it-for-their-employers-new-research-253200

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The founder kings of Silicon Valley: Dual-class stock gives US social media company controllers nearly as much power as ByteDance has over TikTok

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Gregory H. Shill, Professor of Law & Michael and Brenda Sandler Faculty Fellow in Corporate Law, University of Iowa

    When Congress passed a law in 2024 to ban TikTok unless it came under U.S. ownership, lawmakers argued that the app’s Chinese parent company posed national security concerns. The Trump administration, which had granted the viral video app a reprieve shortly after taking office in January 2025, extended that pause again on April 4 after the Chinese government reportedly scuttled a planned deal.

    Regardless of how this all shakes out, the TikTok fight underscores deeper concerns about who controls social media in the United States.

    Given that worry, it might surprise Americans to learn that nearly every social media giant is controlled by just one or two men. For example, Mark Zuckerberg controls Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, while Larry Page and Sergey Brin control Alphabet, which owns YouTube and Google.

    What does “control” mean? These companies are publicly traded – anybody can buy or sell their shares – but a legal mechanism known as dual-class stock gives founders extra votes in shareholder decisions. The dual-class structure crowns these men “corporate royalty,” as one former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission commissioner has put it, granting them near-absolute control of corporate policy and resources without requiring them to take on commensurate financial risk.

    While TikTok is unusual in many respects, the way it vests power in one man is actually quite banal. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is privately held, but it’s reportedly controlled by a co-founder, Chinese national Zhang Yiming, via a dual-class structure.

    As a professor of corporate law, I’d urge policymakers and the public to consider the societal risks of a system that allows a single person to wield full control over a major corporation through dual-class stock.

    The dual-class effect: Meta as a case study

    In a standard single-class structure – where voting power tracks the amount of company equity a shareholder owns – someone seeking total control of a company must ordinarily spend a lot of money buying up shares, which also means assuming a lot of risk. This “skin in the game” requirement limits how much influence a single person can exert on a company.

    That safeguard is informal, not mandatory, and dual-class structures do away with it. Ascendant among Silicon Valley firms since Google’s 2004 initial public offering in the U.S. and recently legalized in the U.K., the dual-class model is fiercely debated in corporate governance circles. To date, however, its downsides have been understood only as a problem for shareholders, not society, despite broad and bipartisan concern about the influence of Big Tech.

    Let’s pick on Meta as an example. Zuckerberg reportedly owns just 13.5% of the company’s equity, but because he owns 99.7% of the supervoting shares, he controls 61% of the company’s votes.

    This setup gives him a lock on corporate policy as a controlling shareholder, even though he only owns a bit over one-eighth of Meta stock by value. He has full control of the company without placing anywhere near an equivalent amount of money at risk.

    You don’t have to be the parent of an Instagram-addicted teenager to see that Meta has generated what might be described as social costs. For example, Amnesty International has alleged that Facebook algorithms “substantially contributed to the atrocities perpetrated by the Myanmar military” in 2017. Facebook has also been criticized for promoting misinformation during past U.S. elections and for suppressing embarrassing stories about Hunter Biden.

    These examples underscore broader social concerns around content moderation, privacy and tech titans’ outsized political influence. Notably, Zuckerberg – who has been associated with progressive causes in the past – has moved to embrace President Donald Trump strongly in recent months and asked for Trump’s support for Meta in a legal battle with the European Union.

    When corporate control meets the Supreme Court

    In a 2023 law journal article, I noted that recent Supreme Court decisions expanding corporate constitutional rights stand to give company founders unprecedented power to shape society. While the rise of founder-controlled social media giants with distinct political agendas has gotten a lot of attention, the widening scope of what is deemed protected corporate speech and religious exercise hasn’t been a part of that conversation.

    I think there’s a real possibility that these two streams will converge, granting constitutional protection to “founder kings” who wish to leverage company resources for private agendas. Two recent legal developments raise the stakes.

    First, the courts – and in particular the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts – have been expanding corporate constitutional rights, which could allow dual-class founders to carve out exceptions to generally applicable laws.

    Second, recent legal changes in Delaware – which despite its tiny size is the leading corporate law jurisdiction in the U.S. – could make it easier for dual-class controlling shareholders to exercise power within their companies.

    To get a sense of the potential consequences, suppose the controlling shareholder of a dual-class company were to cause it to defy a federal mandate – for example, a requirement to offer health insurance plans that cover contraception – on the grounds that complying would violate their religious beliefs. The Supreme Court in Hobby Lobby v. Burwell recognized exactly this sort of faith-based exception for a large family-owned but privately held business.

    Would it recognize such an exception for a company like Snap? The company, best known for its app Snapchat, is publicly traded, but just two men, Robert Murphy and Evan Spiegel, control 99.5% of the voting power.

    We can’t be sure. Hobby Lobby is different from Snap in many ways. Yet what they have in common is the ability of their owners to plausibly claim a unitary speech or religious exercise interest that would not characterize a typical large business. Snap’s public owners have no say at all – zero votes – in the company’s affairs. If the controllers of Snap asserted a religious basis for exempting the company from a regulation – and to be clear, this is a purely hypothetical example – the courts might well indulge the claim.

    The judicial system’s expanding view of corporate constitutional rights – seen not just in Hobby Lobby but in Citizens United v. FEC and a number of more recent and ongoing cases in state and lower federal courts – could empower founders to leverage their businesses for private agendas. Whether or not this is likely for Snap in particular, the combination of the dual-class model and changes in the law would seem to leave the door open.

    Elon Musk vs. the dual-class model

    A fitting contrast might be none other than Twitter – renamed X after Elon Musk acquired it and who recently merged it into xAI, another Musk-led venture.

    As a privately held company, xAI is not required to file public investor reports, and much about its ownership structure remains opaque. But let’s assume the company is majority-owned by Musk in a conventional single-class structure – the type Twitter had before he bought it. Given a chance to provoke, Musk has consistently proved eager to raise his hand. Couldn’t he use his control to get X or xAI – we’ll stick with “X” for simplicity – to exercise the same vast control that Murphy and Spiegel could at Snap, or Zuckerberg at Meta?

    Yes – but with a subtle yet important difference.

    There’s a certain logic to X’s key corporate decisions being vested in Musk. Quite famously, he ponied up US$44 billion to buy the entire company. Legal prohibitions on the deployment of private resources for influence are confined to a small universe of cases – antitrust, bribery, certain types of campaign contributions. Those resources include businesses, which are a form of property, that are owned by wealthy individuals or groups. With limited exceptions, people can use their own property as they wish.

    In a dual-class company, though, controllers use other people’s property as they wish. They can get the immense legal, economic and organizational power of the corporate form without having to put much skin in the game.

    Beyond TikTok: The conversation the US should be having

    Traditionally, questions of rich-guy influence have been seen through the lens of politics, taxes or public regulation. But seeing them as questions about the exercise of private corporate control makes clear the special social challenges posed by dual-class stock.

    Wall Street has mostly accepted the bargain: ironclad insulation of Zuckerberg in exchange for rock-solid Meta returns. But this debate is not only of interest for the investment community. Everyone has a stake in its outcome.

    It’s fair for the public to question the wisdom of allowing company founders to leverage the resources and newly jumbo-sized constitutional rights of large corporations in service of a special agenda – be it for a foreign government, a political party or a religious faith – that isn’t even connected to classical purposes of the corporation or advantages of the dual-class model.

    The distinctive risks posed by TikTok are mostly unrelated to its share structure. But the debate over the ban-or-sell law offers a reminder: The powers created by dual-class stock aren’t unique to Chinese control. America’s homegrown-found kings wield them, too.

    Gregory H. Shill does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The founder kings of Silicon Valley: Dual-class stock gives US social media company controllers nearly as much power as ByteDance has over TikTok – https://theconversation.com/the-founder-kings-of-silicon-valley-dual-class-stock-gives-us-social-media-company-controllers-nearly-as-much-power-as-bytedance-has-over-tiktok-253671

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Cities that want to attract business might want to focus less on financial incentives and more on making people feel safe

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kaitlyn DeGhetto, Associate Professor of Management, University of Dayton

    To attract business investment, American cities and states offer companies billions of dollars in incentives, such as tax credits. As the theory goes, when governments create a business-friendly environment, it encourages investment, leading to job creation and economic growth.

    While this theory may seem logical on its face, it’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation. Business investment follows employees, not just the other way around. In fact, our research suggests workers care less about whether a city has business-friendly policies and more about how safe they feel living in it. And interestingly, we found that politics influence people’s risk perceptions more than hard data such as crime statistics.

    Our findings have major implications for cities and businesses. If people choose where to live and work based on perceived safety rather than economic incentives, then entrepreneurs and city leaders may need to rethink how they approach growth and investment.

    The many faces of risk

    We are management professors who surveyed more than 500 employees and entrepreneurs from across the country to better understand how they rate 25 large U.S. cities on various dimensions of risk.

    We asked about three different types of risk: risk related to crime, government function and social issues. Risk related to government function includes corruption and instability, while risk related to social issues includes potential infringements on individual rights.

    We found that people’s views of risk weren’t driven primarily by objective statistics, such as FBI crime data. Instead, they were shaped by factors such as media representations, word of mouth and geographic stereotypes.

    For example, studies suggest that crime in Denver has been rising, and U.S. News and World Report recently ranked it as the 10th most dangerous city based on FBI crime reports. However, the employees and entrepreneurs we surveyed ranked Denver as the safest city in the country.

    It’s all politics

    We found that political perspectives were the main factor biasing the rankings. For example, conservative-leaning employees and entrepreneurs believed that Portland, Oregon, is dangerous, ranking it as America’s ninth-riskiest city. In contrast, those who are liberal-leaning ranked it as the second-safest city in the country.

    Both of these beliefs can’t be accurate. Instead, when basing the ranking on objective crime data from the FBI, U.S. News ranked Portland the 15th most dangerous city in the country.

    When assessing risk related to how the government functions, conservatives praised politicians in Nashville, Charlotte and Dallas, while the liberals praised those in Denver, Minneapolis and Portland. Similarly, when considering risk related to social issues, conservatives said New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco were “risky,” while the liberals said Tampa, Miami and Houston should be avoided.

    Our findings also suggest that political perspectives influence the types of risk that employers and employees care about. For example, conservatives tend to care more about crime-related risk than liberals, and liberals care more about risk related to social issues.

    Now what?

    We’re not advocating that city leaders drop financial incentives altogether, or that employers ignore them. Evidence suggests that financial incentives and other business-friendly policies may be effective at attracting businesses and strengthening local economies.

    However, our research suggests that when individuals are making important life decisions about where to live, work and invest, a city’s level of risk matters. Importantly, beliefs about risk are subjective and are biased by political perspectives.

    In our view, city leaders must recognize and address concerns about crime, governance and social issues while actively working to improve public perceptions of their cities. Likewise, businesses may want to consider investing in cities that are less politically polarized when making investment decisions.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Cities that want to attract business might want to focus less on financial incentives and more on making people feel safe – https://theconversation.com/cities-that-want-to-attract-business-might-want-to-focus-less-on-financial-incentives-and-more-on-making-people-feel-safe-250247

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Peru’s ancient irrigation systems turned deserts into farms because of the culture − without it, the systems failed

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ari Caramanica, Assistant Professor of Archaeology, Vanderbilt University

    A pre-Hispanic canal funnels water from mountains to farm fields. Ari Caramanica

    Seeing the north coast of Peru for the first time, you would be hard-pressed to believe it’s one of the driest deserts in the world.

    Parts of the region receive less than an inch of rain in an entire year. Yet, water and greenery are everywhere. This is the nation’s agro-industrial heartland, and, thanks to irrigation canals, almost every inch of the floodplain is blanketed in lucrative export crops, such as sugarcane, asparagus and blueberries.

    However, the apparent success of this system masks an underlying fragility.

    Water shortages have plagued the region for centuries, and now modern climate change combined with agro-industrial practices have further intensified droughts. In response, the Peruvian government has invested billions of dollars in irrigation infrastructure in recent years designed to deliver more water from a resource more than 100 miles away: glaciers in the Andes.

    But the Andean glaciers are disappearing as global temperatures rise. Peru has lost over half its glacier surface area since 1962. At the same time, floods often connected to wet El Niño years are increasing in both frequency and intensity. These floods often destroy or obstruct critical irrigation infrastructure.

    Andean glaciers are disappearing as global temperatures rise. Peru lost over half its glacier surface area in the past half-century.
    mmphoto/DigitalVision via Getty Images

    As an archaeologist investigating societal responses to environmental and climate disaster in Peru, I’m interested in unraveling the histories of complex systems to understand how to improve similar systems today. To understand the Peruvian heartland’s vulnerabilities, it helps to look to the deep past.

    Most of the modern canal network originally dates to pre-Hispanic times, more than 1400 years ago. However, evidence suggests that while the canal systems of the past may have looked similar to those of the present, they functioned in more efficient, flexible ways. The key to adapting to our present and future climate may lie in comprehending the knowledge systems of the past – not just the equipment, technology or infrastructure, but how people used it.

    An environment of extremes

    The north coast of Peru is an environment of extremes.

    In this desert, thousands of years ago, societies encountered many of the same challenges posed by the modern climate crisis: expanding drylands, water scarcity, vulnerable food production systems, and frequent, intense natural disasters.

    Yet, people not only occupied this area for millennia, they thrived in it. Moche and Chimu societies created sophisticated, complex political and religious institutions, art and technology, and one of the largest pyramidal structures in the Americas.

    Relief of fish adorn an adobe wall in the historic Tschudi Complex archaeological site at Chan Chan, the former capital of the Chimu empire in Peru.
    FabulousFabs/Flickr, CC BY-NC

    When the Spanish arrived on the desert north coast of Peru shortly after 1532 C.E., early chroniclers remarked on the verdant, green valleys across the region.

    The Spanish immediately recognized the importance of the canal network. They had used similar canal technology in Spain for centuries. So, they set about conscripting Indigenous labor and adapting the irrigation system to their goals.

    Just a few decades later, however, historic records describe sand dunes and scrublands invading the green valleys, water shortages, and in 1578 a massive El Niño flood that nearly ended the young colony.

    So how did the Indigenous operation of this landscape succeed, where the Spanish and the modern-day agro-industrial complex have repeatedly failed?

    Culture was crucial for ancient canal systems

    Ancient beliefs, behaviors and norms – what archaeologists call culture – were fundamentally integrated into technological solutions in this part of Peru in ancient times. Isolating and removing the tools from that knowledge made them less effective.

    Scientists, policymakers and stakeholders searching for models of sustainable agriculture and climate adaptations can look to the archaeological record. Successfully applying past practices to today’s challenges requires learning about the cultures that put those tools to work effectively for so long, so long ago.

    The pre-Hispanic societies of Peru developed agricultural principles around the realities of the desert, which included both dry seasons and flash floods.

    Large-scale irrigation infrastructure was combined with low-cost, easily modified canals. Aqueducts doubled as sediment traps to capture nutrients. Canal branches channeled both river water and floodwater. Even check-dams – small dams used to control high-energy floods – worked in multiple ways. Usually made of mounded cobble and gravel, they reduced the energy of flash floods, captured rich sediments and recharged the water table.

    A drone’s view of sugarcane fields shows a pre-Hispanic adobe aqueduct on the right and small feeder canals in the modern fields.
    Ari Caramanica

    The initial failures of the Spanish on the north coast exemplify the problem of trying to adopt technology without understanding the cultural insights behind it: While they may be identical in form, a Spanish canal isn’t a Moche canal.

    Spanish canals operated in a temperate climate and were managed by individual farmers who could maintain or increase their water flow. The Moche and Chimu canal was tied to a complex labor system that synchronized cleaning and maintenance and prioritized the efficient use of water. What’s more, Moche canals functioned in tandem with floodwater diversion canals, which activated during El Niño events to create niches of agricultural productivity amid disasters.

    A handmade gate on a modern canal in northern Peru doesn’t seem that different from ancient canals, but the pre-Hispanic canal systems were generally more conceptually complex and interconnected.
    Ari Caramanica

    Desert farming required flexibility and multifunctionality from its infrastructure. Achieving that often meant forgoing impermeable materials and permanent designs, which stands in stark contrast to the way modern-day water management works are constructed.

    Copying ancient practices without the culture

    Today, the Peruvian government is pushing forward with a decades-old, multibillion-dollar project to deliver water to the north coast from a glacier-fed river.

    The Chavimochic project promises a grand transformation, turning desert into productive farmland. But it may be sacrificing long-term resilience for short-term prosperity.

    The project feeds on the temporary abundance of glacial meltwater. This is creating a water boom as the ice melts, but it will inevitably be followed by a devastating water bust as the glaciers all but disappear, which scientists estimate could happen by the end of the 21st century.

    Farmers sell locally grown corn and other crops at a street market in Piura, Peru.
    Christian Ender/Getty Images

    Meanwhile, sustainable land management practices of past Indigenous inhabitants continue to support ecosystems hundreds and even thousands of years later. Studies show higher levels of biodiversity, crucial to ecosystem health, near archaeological sites.

    On the Peruvian north coast, pre-Hispanic infrastructure continues to capture floodwater during El Niño events. When their modern-day fields are flooded or destroyed by these events, farmers will sometimes move their crops to areas surrounding archaeological remains where their corn, squash and bean plants can tap into the trapped water and sediments and safely grow without the need for further irrigation.

    Critics might point out the difficulty of scaling up ancient technologies for global applications, find them rudimentary, or would prefer to appropriate the design without bothering with understanding “the cultural stuff.”

    But this framing misses the bigger point: What made these technologies effective was the cultural stuff. Not just the tools but how they were used by the societies operating them. As long as modern engineering solutions try to update ancient technologies without considering the cultures that made them function, these projects will struggle.

    Understanding the past matters

    Archaeologists have an important role to play in building a climate-resilient future, but any meaningful progress would benefit from a historical approach that considers multiple ways of understanding the environment, of operating an irrigation canal and of organizing an agriculture-based economy.

    That approach, in my view, begins with saving indigenous languages, where cultural logic is deeply embedded, as well as preserving archaeological and sacred sites, and creating partnerships built on trust with the people who have worked with the land and whose cultures have adapted their practices to the changing climate for thousands of years.

    Ari Caramanica receives funding from The National Endowment for the Humanities.

    – ref. Peru’s ancient irrigation systems turned deserts into farms because of the culture − without it, the systems failed – https://theconversation.com/perus-ancient-irrigation-systems-turned-deserts-into-farms-because-of-the-culture-without-it-the-systems-failed-251199

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The ‘courage to be’ in uncertain times − how one 20th-century philosopher defined bravery

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mordechai Gordon, Professor of Education, Quinnipiac University

    Over the past few weeks, as negotiations for a ceasefire in Ukraine drag on, I’ve thought back to Feb. 28, 2025: the day of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s heated visit to the Oval Office.

    Zelenskyy has called the tone of the meeting “regrettable” as he tries to salvage support for Ukraine. But in some ways, he has stood by his decision to speak up as President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated his country, calling it ungrateful for foreign assistance. “In that conversation, I was defending the dignity of Ukraine,” he told Time magazine.

    Watching Zelenskyy left me thinking about political courage. Philosophers have written about bravery for thousands of years, but what is it?

    Plato, for instance, wrote about courage as an important virtue that can assist political leaders. Plato scholar Linda Rabieh argues that courage is the ability to be steadfast in the moment of truth. Angela Hobbs, a British scholar, says that courage might be called “spiritedness”: the ability to act boldly in adverse situations.

    Some of my own recent research in philosophy of education has also focused on courage. In particular, I have been interested in Paul Tillich’s notion of the “courage to be,” as well as its implications for politics and education. Tillich was a German philosopher and theologian who left the country after the Nazis rose to power.

    Tillich Park in New Harmony, Ind., dedicated to the philosopher and theologian.
    christina rutz/Flickr, CC BY-SA

    More than a mindset

    Born in a village in eastern Germany in 1886, Tillich lived in a Europe ravaged by two world wars. As such, he experienced firsthand the fundamental anxiety that many felt during this period of prolonged violence and destruction.

    In the early 1930s, Tillich wrote “The Socialist Decision,” which can be interpreted as a challenge to right-wing populist movements. The Nazis banned the book, and he soon immigrated to the United States, where he would spend the rest of his life and write his most important philosophical and theological works.

    Tillich’s book “The Courage to Be,” published in 1952, is based on a series of lectures that he delivered at Yale University. Tillich was inspired to address courage, since he viewed this concept as one that integrates theological, sociological and philosophical problems. Moreover, Tillich suggests that this concept was useful for understanding societies’ challenges after World War II.

    Tillich moved to the U.S. in the 1930s, after the Nazis’ rise to power.
    Fritz Eschen/ullstein bild via Getty Images

    At its core, the book springs from an attempt to respond to anxiety: people’s anxious search for meaning and security, especially as many people lost faith in the religious traditions that once anchored their sense of purpose and reality. There is courage, Tillich writes, in affirming oneself despite that sense of emptiness, and despite the knowledge that our lives are short and uncertain.

    Tillich defines “the courage to be” as “the ethical act in which man affirms his own being in spite of those elements of his existence which conflict with his essential self-affirmation.” In other words, it is not simply an attitude or disposition. The courage to be is a deed – the ability to stay true to oneself.

    When it comes to ethics or politics, Tillich’s idea of courage entails the ability to sacrifice things such as pleasure, happiness and, in the most extreme cases, one’s life for some higher cause. Such acts of courage are praiseworthy because they suggest that the most ethically essential parts – the noble aspects – of our being are prevailing over the less essential.

    In spite of, a part of

    What Tillich calls “courage to be” consists of two indivisible parts or aspects.

    The first is what he refers to as “the courage to be in spite of”: courageously choosing to affirm one’s essential being, one’s core values, despite tough and even daunting forces of resistance.

    Martin Luther King Jr.’s struggle for civil rights during the 1960s provides a good example of this aspect of the courage to be. Documentary evidence indicates that the FBI tried to destroy his reputation with blackmail and wiretaps, not to mention the close to 30 times he was jailed.

    Martin Luther King Jr., kneeling on left, leads marchers singing and praying during a protest against segregated housing policies in Chicago in August 1966.
    AP Photo/File

    The second aspect Tillich describes in his book is “the courage to be as a part,” to partake in something larger than oneself. Tillich writes that “the self is self only because it has a world, a structured universe, to which it belongs.” The courage to be as a part could mean participating in a political movement, a religious community, a worker strike, or any other initiative that involves people coming together for a common purpose.

    For Tillich, these types of courage should not be considered separate qualities but two interrelated aspects of the courage to be.

    At Zelenskyy’s meeting in the Oval Office, I believe we witnessed a leader embodying both senses of the courage to be. As a president, Zelenskyy stood up for the right of his country to defend itself in the face of Russia’s assault. He remained steadfast in spite of efforts by Trump and Vance to pressure him to accept an agreement that would not have provided security guarantees for Ukraine.

    Yet it seemed to me the plainspoken, animated Zelenskyy also displayed Tillich’s notion of the courage to be as a part. He acted not only as an individual, or a politician, but as a Ukrainian trying to defend his country from an invader − a cause that has inspired protests around the globe.

    Mordechai Gordon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The ‘courage to be’ in uncertain times − how one 20th-century philosopher defined bravery – https://theconversation.com/the-courage-to-be-in-uncertain-times-how-one-20th-century-philosopher-defined-bravery-250576

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Social media before bedtime wreaks havoc on our sleep − a sleep researcher explains why screens alone aren’t the main culprit

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Brian N. Chin, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Trinity College

    Social media use before bedtime can be stimulating in ways that screen time alone is not. Adam Hester/Tetra Images via Getty Images

    “Avoid screens before bed” is one of the most common pieces of sleep advice. But what if the real problem isn’t screen time − it’s the way we use social media at night?

    Sleep deprivation is one of the most widespread yet overlooked public health issues, especially among young adults and adolescents.

    Despite needing eight to 10 hours of sleep, most adolescents fall short, while nearly two-thirds of young adults regularly get less than the recommended seven to nine hours.

    Poor sleep isn’t just about feeling tired − it’s linked to worsened mental health, emotion regulation, memory, academic performance and even increased risk for chronic illness and early mortality.

    At the same time, social media is nearly universal among young adults, with 84% using at least one platform daily. While research has long focused on screen time as the culprit for poor sleep, growing evidence suggests that how often people check social media − and how emotionally engaged they are − matters even more than how long they spend online.

    As a social psychologist and sleep researcher, I study how social behaviors, including social media habits, affect sleep and well-being. Sleep isn’t just an individual behavior; it’s shaped by our social environments and relationships.

    And one of the most common yet underestimated factors shaping modern sleep? How we engage with social media before bed.

    Emotional investment in social media

    Beyond simply measuring time spent on social media, researchers have started looking at how emotionally connected people feel to their social media use.

    Some studies suggest that the way people emotionally engage with social media may have a greater impact on sleep quality than the total time they spend online.

    In a 2024 study of 830 young adults, my colleagues and I examined how different types of social media engagement predicted sleep problems. We found that frequent social media visits and emotional investment were stronger predictors of poor sleep than total screen time. Additionally, presleep cognitive arousal and social comparison played a key role in linking social media engagement to sleep disruption, suggesting that social media’s effects on sleep extend beyond simple screen exposure.

    I believe these findings suggest that cutting screen time alone may not be enough − reducing how often people check social media and how emotionally connected they feel to it may be more effective in promoting healthier sleep habits.

    How social media disrupts sleep

    If you’ve ever struggled to fall asleep after scrolling through social media, it’s not just the screen keeping you awake. While blue light can delay melatonin production, my team’s research and that of others suggests that the way people interact with social media may play an even bigger role in sleep disruption.

    Here are some of the biggest ways social media interferes with your sleep:

    • Presleep arousal: Doomscrolling and emotionally charged content on social media keeps your brain in a state of heightened alertness, making it harder to relax and fall asleep. Whether it’s political debates, distressing news or even exciting personal updates, emotionally stimulating content can trigger increased cognitive and physiological arousal that delays sleep onset.

    • Social comparison: Viewing idealized social media posts before bed can lead to upward social comparison, increasing stress and making it harder to sleep. People tend to compare themselves to highly curated versions of others’ lives − vacations, fitness progress, career milestones − which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and anxiety that disrupt sleep.

    • Habitual checking: Social media use after lights out is a strong predictor of poor sleep, as checking notifications and scrolling before bed can quickly become an automatic habit. Studies have shown that nighttime-specific social media use, especially after lights are out, is linked to shorter sleep duration, later bedtimes and lower sleep quality. This pattern reflects bedtime procrastination, where people delay sleep despite knowing it would be better for their health and well-being.

    • Fear of missing out, or FOMO: The urge to stay connected also keeps many people scrolling long past their intended bedtime, making sleep feel secondary to staying updated. Research shows that higher FOMO levels are linked to more frequent nighttime social media use and poorer sleep quality. The anticipation of new messages, posts or updates can create a sense of social pressure to stay online and reinforce the habit of delaying sleep.

    Taken together, these factors make social media more than just a passive distraction − it becomes an active barrier to restful sleep. In other words, that late-night scroll isn’t harmless − it’s quietly rewiring your sleep and well-being.

    How to use social media without sleep disruption

    You don’t need to quit social media, but restructuring how you engage with it at night could help. Research suggests that small behavioral changes to your bedtime routine can make a significant difference in sleep quality. I suggest trying these practical, evidence-backed strategies for improving your sleep:

    • Give your brain time to wind down: Avoid emotionally charged content 30 to 60 minutes before bed to help your mind relax and prepare for sleep.

    • Create separation between social media and sleep: Set your phone to “Do Not Disturb” or leave it outside the bedroom to avoid the temptation of late-night checking.

    • Reduce mindless scrolling: If you catch yourself endlessly refreshing, take a small, mindful pause and ask yourself: “Do I actually want to be on this app right now?”

    A brief moment of awareness can help break the habit loop.

    Brian N. Chin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Social media before bedtime wreaks havoc on our sleep − a sleep researcher explains why screens alone aren’t the main culprit – https://theconversation.com/social-media-before-bedtime-wreaks-havoc-on-our-sleep-a-sleep-researcher-explains-why-screens-alone-arent-the-main-culprit-251453

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How racism fueled the Eaton Fire’s destruction in Altadena − a scholar explains why discrimination can raise fire risk for Black Californians

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Calvin Schermerhorn, Professor of History, Arizona State University

    Altadena is inherently prone to fire. But Black residents are the most vulnerable. Mario Tama/Getty Images

    The damage from the Eaton Fire wasn’t indiscriminate. The blaze that ravaged the city of Altadena, California, in January 2025, killing 17 people and consuming over 9,000 buildings, destroyed Black Altadenans’ homes in greatest proportion.

    About 48% of Black-owned homes sustained major damage or total destruction, compared with 37% of those owned by Asian, Latino or white Altadenans, according to a February 2025 report from the UCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies.

    The Eaton Fire’s uneven devastation reveals a pattern of racial discrimination previously concealed along neat blocks of mid-century, ranch-style homes and tree-lined streets.

    ‘A place for white people only’

    In the early 20th century, Altadena was a professional enclave connected to Los Angeles, 13 miles away, by the Pacific Electric Railway, or “Red Car” system.

    It was also lily-white, and that’s how homeowner groups liked it, according to research by Altadena historian Michele Zack.

    These organizations, which had lofty names such as the Great Northwest Improvement Association and West Altadena Improvement Association, urged homeowners to write language into their deeds that would bar Black, Latino or Asian tenants from buying or renting there.

    “We want our section of Pasadena and Altadena to be a place for white people only,” read one homeowners association notice sent to property owners in 1919.

    A ladies golf lesson in Altadena, Calif., 1958.
    Maryland Studio/PGA of America via Getty Images

    By the end of World War II, most properties in Altadena had racially restrictive deeds or covenants – a trend being repeated in white suburbs across the country.

    In 1948, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down such restrictions in Shelley v. Kraemer as unenforceable. Still, the 1950 census shows that Altadena had no Black residents.

    Building the new LA

    But the Los Angeles area was changing. The West Coast economy boomed after the war, and Black Americans from Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas began heading to California. Many landed in Pasadena, directly south of Altadena.

    Claiming that Americans preferred buses and automobiles to trains, a consortium of automobile, oil and tire companies persuaded Los Angeles officials to rip out the electric railway and replace it with roads.

    Los Angeles’ “Red Car” system, which had connected the region, closed for good in 1961. Altadena had already lost its rail connection to Los Angeles long before, in 1941.

    By mid-century, broader Los Angeles had become a series of homeowner-controlled enclaves connected by freeways and choked with smog.

    The construction in 1958 of Interstate 210, which connected the San Fernando Valley to the San Gabriel Valley, ran a four-lane highway through mostly Black and Latino neighborhoods of Pasadena. Following a national pattern of displacing poor minority communities in the name of urban renewal, it was part of a redevelopment spree that ultimately pushed 4,000 Black and Latino residents out of the city.

    Some relocated within Pasadena or moved to Duarte, Monrovia, Pomona or South Los Angeles. But a handful of families bought homes in Altadena, defying the illegal racial covenants still in place there.

    One new Black resident, Joseph Henry Davis, bought a home west of Lake Avenue, the main north-south artery dividing the city, in what was, as one local newspaper put it in 1964, an “all-white Altadena neighborhood.”

    When Davis moved in, the story reports, his new neighbors put up “a 40-inch white plaster cross that (read) ‘you are not welcome here.‘” The Davis family “paid it no attention.”

    Altadena embodied a paradox seen nationwide. The city integrated, but block-by-block segregation kept white and Black residents apart.

    Discrimination in new forms

    By 1970, roughly one-third of Altadena’s population was Black, and 70% of Black households in Altadena owned their homes – nearly double Los Angeles County’s Black home ownership rate of 38%.

    Black residents almost exclusively lived in West Altadena. Lots there were smaller than those on the east side of town, so they were more affordable. They were also older, which made them more vulnerable to fires because they were built with materials that were more flammable than those used in newer homes.

    As my book “The Plunder of Black America: How the Racial Wealth Gap Was Made” shows, once Black families surmounted one obstacle, such as racial covenants, another rose in its place.

    In the 1960s and 1970s, many white Altadenans resisted school integration, opposing boundary changes and busing that would have put Black and Latino students in predominantly white Altadena schools. California passed Proposition 13 in 1978, freezing property taxes at 1% of their assessed value. Public schools lost significant funding, private schools gained affluent students, and educational segregation deepened.

    Educational discrimination feeds wealth inequality, which was severe nationwide: In 1980, for every dollar a white household owned, a Black one owned 20 cents.

    Rising home values, paradoxically, had a similarly malignant effect. In the 1980s, the Los Angeles area became one of the most expensive housing markets in the nation. Many Black Altadenans could no longer afford to live there. The share of the city’s population that was Black fell from 43% in 1980 to 38% in 1990. By the 2000s it had dropped to below 25%.

    Great Recession takes its toll

    Black homeowners who remained in Altadena were hit hard by the 2008 housing crisis. That crisis was caused in part by lenders steering borrowers, particularly borrowers of color, into subprime loans, even when they qualified for better deals.

    Between 2007 and 2009, Black households lost 48% of their wealth – nearly half their assets. White wealth dropped during the Great Recession, too, but only by about one-quarter.

    Research into this racial discrepancy later showed that because white families had more of a financial cushion, they could stem their losses.

    These and other factors have all dragged down the wealth of Black Californians over the years. In 2023, California’s task force on reparations calculated that the state’s discriminatory practices cost the average African American in California $160,931 in homeownership wealth compared with a white Californian.

    Racism fuels the fire

    Those inequities were a tinderbox that the Eaton Fire ignited.

    Altadena is inherently prone to fire because it borders the Angeles National Forest, gets Santa Ana winds that spread embers, and has highly flammable vegetation. But because Black Altadenans’ homes sit on smaller lots, with structures and landscaping located closer together, the ember fire spread more easily in Black neighborhoods.

    Altadena, Calif., March 26, 2025: A scene of ruin.
    Mario Tama/Getty Images

    Black Altadenans also tend to be older than their white neighbors, because most had bought into the area before the real estate boom of the 1980s. The physical and financial strains typical of an aging household may have caused hardships for removing vegetation – a best practice in protecting a structure from an ember fire.

    All these factors likely contributed to the Eaton Fire disproportionately burning Black-owned homes. All are connected to the city’s legacy of discrimination and exclusion. And they will all make fire recovery harder for Black Altadenans, too.

    Calvin Schermerhorn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. How racism fueled the Eaton Fire’s destruction in Altadena − a scholar explains why discrimination can raise fire risk for Black Californians – https://theconversation.com/how-racism-fueled-the-eaton-fires-destruction-in-altadena-a-scholar-explains-why-discrimination-can-raise-fire-risk-for-black-californians-250582

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –